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Gaston County, North Carolina
Gaston County is a county located just west of Charlotte (Mecklenburg County) in the southern Piedmont in the U.S. state of North Carolina. It is the third largest county, by population, in the Charlotte Metropolitan Area, officially designated the Charlotte-Gastonia-Concord Metropolitan Statistical Area (MSA). As of 2010, the population was 206,086.It is the third largest county in the Charlotte Metro Area behind Mecklenburg County and Union county. The county seat of Gaston County is Gastonia. Dallas served as the original county seat from 1846 until 1911. Of North Carolina's one hundred counties, Gaston County ranks 74th in size, consisting of approximately , and is seventh in population. The county has fifteen incorporated towns. Geography According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the county has a total area of , of which is land and (2.02%) is water. It belongs to the southern Piedmont physiographic province. Most of Gaston County is in the drainage basin of the Catawba River, except for small areas along the western edge of the county which are in the basin of the Broad River. Both the Catawba and Broad Rivers are in the greater Santee River basin. The Catawba forms the eastern border of the county and much of the central part of the county is in the drainage basin of its right tributary, the South Fork Catawba River.Gaston County Watersheds The county is located in the Piedmont region of central North Carolina, which consists of gently rolling terrain frequently broken by hills, river and creek valleys, and low, isolated mountain ridges. The highest point in Gaston County is King's Pinnacle, a rocky monadnock which sharply rises over above the city of Gastonia. King's Pinnacle rises above sea level, and is part of Crowders Mountain State Park.Piedmont North Carolina Trip Reports (GCounty High Pointers Assn., 2010), cited in http://www.cohp.org/nc/north_carolina_C.html#Gaston Gaston County has fourteen incorporated towns: Belmont, Bessemer City, Cherryville, Cramerton, Dallas, Dellview (smallest incorporated town in the U.S. with a population of 23), Gastonia, High Shoals, Lowell, McAdenville, Mount Holly, Ranlo, Spencer Mountain, and Stanley. Inincorporated areas of the county are divided among six townships (used on an administrative basis only): Cherryville, Dallas, Riverbend, Crowders Mountain, Gastonia, and South Point. History The earliest European settlers of Gaston County were principally Scots Irish, Pennsylvania Dutch, and English. In the 1750s, Dutch settler James Kuykendall and others constructed the Fort at the Point at the junction of the Catawba and South Fork Rivers.Piper Peters Aheron. Images of America: Gastonia and Gaston County North Carolina. Arcadia Publishing, 2001 (ISBN 0738506737) The fort was built because of ongoing hostilities with the Cherokee, but it was apparently never attacked. Tensions between the settlers and the Native American inhabitants (primarily of the Catawba tribe) were eased considerably when the boundary dispute between North Carolina and South Carolina was settled in 1772, after which most of the Catawba settled on a reservation near Fort Mill, South Carolina.County Profile - http://www.co.gaston.nc.us/countyprofile.htm. Gaston County government official website. Retrieved on 2008-07-02. Most early farms were small, cultivated primarily by White yeoman farmers of English ancestry. North Carolina's colonial policy restricted the size of land grants, and in Gaston County they tended to be about each. One of the earliest grants in the area was given to Captain Samuel Cobrin, commander of a local militia company, on September 29, 1750.Robert F. Cope and Hanley Wade Wellman, The County of Gaston: Two Centuries of a North Carolina Region (Gaston County Historical Society, 1961), 13, cited in Peter Hoyle House National Register Application Between 1845 and 1848, Gaston County experienced an industrial boom. During this three-year period, the first three cotton mills in the County were established. Some authorities say that the first one was established by Thomas R. Tate on Mountain Island, near the present site of Duke Energy's Mountain Island Dam and Hydroelectric Station. Other sources say that the first mill was established by the Linebergers and others on the South Fork River near McAdenville. Most sources agree that among the first three mills in operation in the County was the Stowesville Mill, founded by Jasper Stowe and Associates in the South Point Community south of Belmont. Gaston County still leads all other counties in the country both in the number of spindles in operation and in the number of bales of cotton consumed. Demographics As of the census of 2004, there were 194,459 people, 73,936 households, and 53,307 families residing in the county. The population density was 534 people per square mile (206/km²). There were 78,842 housing units at an average density of 221 per square mile (85/km²). The racial makeup of the county was 83% White, 13.9% Black or African American, 0.3% Native American, 1% Asian, 0% Pacific Islander, 0.3% from other races, and 1% from two or more races. 3.00% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. There are 92,094 males and 98,271 females in Gaston County. Of these 39,492 are under 15, 23,082 are aged 16–24, 59,096 are aged 25–44, 44,710 are aged between 45-64 and 23,985 are 65 and over. The median age is 36.89 years. The races there are very mixed: 157,965 are White, 26,405 are Black or African-American, 525 are American Indian and Alaska native, 1,814 are Asian, 50 are native Hawaiian and other Pacific Islander, 5,719 are Hispanic or Latino, 1,958 are some other race and 1,648 are two or more races. The median income for a household in the county was $39,482, and the median income for a family was $46,271. Males had a median income of $33,542 versus $23,876 for females. The per capita income for the county was $19,225. About 8.30% of families and 10.90% of the population were below the poverty line, including 14.50% of those under age 18 and 11.10% of those age 65 or over. Law and government Gaston County is governed by a seven-member Board of Commissioners. Two members are elected from Gaston Township and one each from the other five townships of Gaston County. They are elected on a partisan basis to four year staggered terms. Those that file for a particular seat must live in the township. However, the vote is countywide or "at-large."Elections-Board of Commissioners, Gaston County government website. Retrieved on 2008-07-22 The offices of Sheriff, District Attorney, Clerk of Superior Court, and Register of Deeds are also elected offices, elected on a countywide, partisan basis. Gaston County currently is divided into forty-six (46) voting precincts.Board of Elections Information, Gaston County government website. Retrieved on 2008-07-22. The county is administered by a full-time professional County Manager. Gaston County is a member of the regional Centralina Council of Governments. In the North Carolina General Assembly, areas of Gaston County are within the 41st and 43rd districts of the North Carolina State Senate and districts 108, 109, and 110 of the North Carolina House of Representatives. At the federal government level, most of Gaston County is within North Carolina's 9th congressional district. Some western parts of the county, including Cherryville, King's Mountain, and southwestern Gastonia, are within North Carolina's 10th congressional district. Courts of Law North Carolina has a unified statewide and state-operated court system, called the General Court of Justice. It consists of three divisions: Appellate Courts, Superior Courts, and District Courts. In Gaston County, there is also a Small Claims Court. Small claims court handles civil cases where a plaintiff requests assignment to a magistrate and the amount in controversy is $5,000 or less. There is no jury and usually no lawyers. A person who loses in small claims court may appeal for a trial by jury before a judge in District Court. Magistrates are appointed for two-year terms by the Senior Resident Superior Court Judge upon nomination of the Clerk of Superior Court.Gaston County Courts Education Public education in Gaston County is administered by the Gaston County Schools public school system. The system is governed by the nine-member Gaston County Board of Education which sets policy and establishes guidelines for school operations. Board members are elected on a nonpartisan, county wide basis, with seven representatives chosen from the six townships and two members selected at-large. Gaston County Schools has 54 public schools, including 9 high schools, 11 middle schools, 32 elementary schools, one alternative school (middle and high school age), and one separate school (Webb Street School in Gastonia) serving students ages 3 to 22 with moderate to severe disabilities. Gaston County has one charter school: Piedmont Community Charter School in Gastonia, for grades K through 12. There are two colleges in Gaston County. Gaston College is a community college located in Dallas offering Associate Degree, Certificate, and Diploma programs. Belmont Abbey College is a Roman Catholic Liberal Arts College located in Belmont. Transportation Infrastructure Major highways * Interstate 85 * U.S. Route 29 * U.S. Route 74 * U.S. Route 321 * North Carolina Highway 16 * North Carolina Highway 27 * North Carolina Highway 150 * North Carolina Highway 274 Rail Service Gaston County is served by Amtrak, with a stop in Gastonia. Freight rail service is provided by the Norfolk Southern Railway, CSX and Patriot Rail. The Norfork Southern main line passes from west to east across the county, passing through Kings Mountain, Gastonia, and Belmont. From Gastonia, a branch line leads north to Dallas and High Shoals and south to Crowders. CSX rail lines pass through the northwestern and northeastern corners of Gaston County. In the northwest, a line between Lincolnton and Shelby passes through Cherryville. In the northeast, a line between Lincolnton and Charlotte passes through Stanley and Mount Holly. Patriot Rail operates state-owned trackage between Gastonia and Mount Holly with a spur extending to Belmont. Airports Charlotte-Douglas International Airport is a major, full-service airport with passenger flights. It is across the Catawba River in Mecklenburg County in Charlotte. The city of Gastonia owns and operates Gastonia Municipal Airport, which is a general aviation airport which covers and has one runway. Adjacent counties *Lincoln County, North Carolina - north *Mecklenburg County, North Carolina - east *York County, South Carolina - south *Cleveland County, North Carolina - west Communities *Belmont *Bessemer City *Cherryville *Cramerton *Dallas *Dellview (inactive; smallest municipality in state) *Gastonia *High Shoals *Kings Mountain (part also in Cleveland County) *Lowell *McAdenville *Mount Holly *Ranlo *Spencer Mountain *Stanley Unincorporated communities *Alexis *Ashebrook Park *Brown Town *Crowders *Hardins *Lucia *Mountain Island *South Gastonia (CDP) *Springdale *Tryon - near site of former Tryon County courthouse Townships * Cherryville * Crowders Mountain * Dallas * Gastonia * Riverbend * South Point Natural heritage Gaston County’s most significant natural heritage sites are distributed across the county. They range from Crowders Mountain in the southwest corner to sites east of Stanley and at the mouth of the South Fork Catawba River. Gaston County has twelve natural heritage sites listed as being of state or regional significance. Six of these are listed because of the presence of the Bigleaf Magnolia (Magnolia macrophylla). This magnificent plant has the largest simple leaf of any species in the temperate world, and one of the largest flowers. Of the 34 known sites containing Bigleaf Magnolias in North Carolina, 29 are in Gaston County. Two sites are important because they provide habitat for the Bog Turtle (Glyptemys muhlenbergii). The Bog Turtle is the single most significant rare animal species surviving in Gaston County. Crowders Mountain State Park is the largest natural heritage site in the county. It covers over of topographically, botanically , and zoologically diverse land. Six natural plant communities are found in the park, and the area supports a diversity of wildlife species. Some animals documented in the park have not been documented elsewhere in the county. A second natural heritage site, Pinnacle Road, has recently been incorporated into the park. This site is most significant for the occurrence of Dwarf Juniper (Juniperus communis) along its ridgeline. The Stagecoach Road site is the largest and best preserved granitic outcrop in the county. Its thin soils are dominated by hickory species and it is also home to several smaller species such as Talinum teretifolium (Fame flower), Diamorpha smallii (Small’s sedum), and Hypericum gentianoides (Pineweed) that are found only in this type of habitat. A farm site contains an old growth forest dominated by beech, yellow poplar, oaks, and maples - some trees with diameters of nearly .http://gaston.ces.ncsu.edu/files/library/36/Environmental%20Report%20Card%20Final.doc. Retrieved 2008-07-04. Another 25 other sites are listed as being of local significance. Two of these are home to extremely rare plants. Catawba Cove, near the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden, supports a stand of Schweinitz's sunflower (Helianthus schweinizii), a Federally endangered species. The Armstrong Ford site near Belmont is the only place in western North Carolina (and one of only two sites in the state) where Magnolia vine (Schisandra glabra) has been found.http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/gaston/Environment/QNRC.brochure.final.pdf. Retrieved on 2008-07-04. Points of interest The Peter Hoyle House, with notable German-American construction features, is the oldest extant structure in Gaston County. Located on the Dallas-Stanley Highway above the South Fork Catawba River, it was built around 1760 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden covers in the South Point area of Gaston County, on South New Hope Road. The Gaston County Museum is located in the town of Dallas, North Carolina. The Schiele Museum of Natural History is a noteworthy science museum and planetarium located in Gastonia that features both permanent and touring exhibits. Crowder's Mountain State Park is noted for its resident raptors and sheer vertical cliffs which drop . From Crowders Mountain, the highest point in Gaston County, views stretch for more than . The U.S. National Whitewater Center is a world-class recreation and training facility. Set among wooded along the scenic Catawba River, the multiuse facility has a climbing center, mountain-biking trails and running trails. Christmas Town, USA - McAdenville, North Carolina - Each December, hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights turn this small mill town into a spectacular holiday display. Visitors stroll down Main Street surrounded by the sights and sounds of Christmas. Spencer Mountain, which is located in central Gaston County, is the site of the old WBTV television transmitter. It was from this site that the first commercial television signal in North Carolina was broadcast, when WBTV signed on the air in 1949. The tower remains on the mountain today, but is no longer in use as WBTV's primary transmitter. It is used by NWS for its NOAA Weather Radio transmission signal. See also * National Register of Historic Places listings in Gaston County, North Carolina References External links * Gaston County government official website * Gaston County Schools official website * Gaston Regional Chamber of Commerce Category:Gaston County, North Carolina Category:Counties of North Carolina Category:Charlotte metropolitan area